Venturi ring machine



sept. 21, 1948.

B. C. CRANDALL VENTURI RING MACHINE Filed July 8, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 B C GRAND/ALL 5 Shee'ts-Sheet 2 B. c. CRANDALL VFNTURI` RING MACHINE Sept. 21, 1948.

Fiied July 8, 1946 -E C. CRANDALL,

Sept- 21. 1948. B. c. CRANDALL 2,449,881

l VENTURI RING MACHINE v Filed July a, 1 946 s sheets-sheet s AVIIIIII gram/wf;

B. C .'CRANDALL Patented Sept. 2l, '1948'x k; UNITED STATES PATENT i OFFICE 2,449,881vv VENTURI RING MACHINE Bee Carl Crandall, Memphis, Tenn. Applicationiuiy s, 194e, serial Ne. 682,111

The present invention relates to improvements in machinery and more particularly to a machine for turning out a Venturi ring from a flat metal sheet to any desired shape and curvature.

One of the objects thereof is to provide a simple, efficient and inexpensive machine for the production rapidly and accurately of baille rings upon the housings of Ventilating fans and thelike apparatus.

Another object thereof is to provide a sturdy, dependable machine the parts of which ar-e so shaped, arranged and caused to function that they will upset and crimp the marginal or perimetral edge of an opening of a sheet metal plate or body in such a manner as to impart thereto the Venturi ring formation.

Another object'thereof is to provide a machine that. requires only manual positioning of. a metal sheet thereupon and clamping it in centered position with respect to the ring forming mechanism thereof, and turning on of a switch for eiecting the purpose of crimping the Venturi ring upon theedge of the opening in the sheet.

A further object thereof is to provide mech-v anism for adjusting the ring forming rolls in such amanner that they may be engaged with the edge of the opening in the metal sheet where the ring is to be formed, regardless of the size or diameter of the opening.

machine of the character described, improved means for supporting the shaping rolls thereof as the rolls follow their cycle of movement around the edge of the opening in the metal sheet where .the Venturi ring is to be formed or similar bead.

Another object is to provide, in amachine of the kind described, improved means fo-r centering the shaping rolls with respect tothe opening in thesheet metal blank for the purpose of assuring that various sizes of rings and various shapes 140 thereof may be Vproduced in a minimum period of time.

Another object thereof is to provide, in a machine of the kind described, improved means A still further object thereof is to provide,in a 30 1 claim. (o1. 153-29) #Figure 1 is a side elevation'of my invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan .view thereof,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view, in side elevation, of the roll carrier, partly in section,

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the fluted roll holder,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary end view of the roll carrier,

Figure '6 is afragmentary exaggerated view, in cross section, of .the turntable and mounting thereon,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary detail View showing the shaping rolls in open position,

Figure 8 is a. View similar to Figure 7, but showing the rolls in closed relation,

Figure 9 is a perspective View of a Ventura ring formed plate, and

Figure 10 is a plan View of the metal sheet in the condition it is in. when fed into the machine.

In the drawingswhichare merely illustrative of my invention, all the parts thereof arev made to appear.

A rectangular framework is provided for supporting all parts of the'machine It is an open frame composed of brace bars and sills. Angle ironbars are made use of. The angle iron uprights are four corners of the frame. Oppositely arranged longitudinal angle iron sills I4 are connected at the base of the frame and constitute the base mounting thereof; Ibeing secured at their opposite ends tc theuprights. A pair of angle iron brace bars I5 and `II; extend inv opposite diagonal relation of the frame, one of the bars connecting the diagonally opposite corners made by asili I4 and an upright, on one side of the frame.' The other bar extends diagonally of the frame and connects to the diagonally opposite corners oi the frame vmade by the upright and sill I4 on theother side of the frame.

A pair of short 'diagonal brace bars Il and I8 arealso provided. The bar vI'I connects AWithsill I4 at one point and tllcllpright I0 or I2, at another point. Diagonal bar I8 similarly connects at one lpoint with sill I4 and at another f-or making necessary adjustments in the carrier point with the upright I-I or I3.

for the shaping rolls with respect to the metal sheet.

With the above and other'objects in view, my invention consists in the combination, arrange A pair of horizontally-disposed top sills I9 and 20 are provided, which connect with the upper ends of the four uprights I0, II, I2 and I3. Seats 2| are for-med at the upper ends of these uprights,

ment and details of construction set forth in the making angle iron rims 22'and 23 at opposite ends drawings and specification and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

`In the drawings,

' Wherein'similar characters designate similar parts throughout the views,

of the frame. Theseangle iron rims are welded together Yand provide a marginal shelf upon which the top sills I9 and 20 are positioned supportedly. Cleats 24 are alsoprovided. Screw bolts 25 are V tapped intov the top'sills and into these cleats,

and nuts 24 screw home on them to clamp the sills upon the cleats. Bolts 21 in turn secure the cleats in position upon the seats 2l, having the heads 2B.

Inside of the frame thus described, and prefrably arranged centrally thereof is a stand or pedestal. This stand or pedestal surrounds a power generating device. The said device is composed of a transmission case 29 secured upon the iiooring upon which the frame is mounted.. This transmission. case `connects with the electric moe tor 38 which imparts power to the gearing there of. A shaft centering case 3| extends upright from the motor 3), in which projectsr upwardlya shaft 56. On the top of this shaft 45 vis a 'turnu table 3l. The pedestal is composed of ai eircular series of upwardly convergentposgts or legs Sii, being preferably four in numberas `shown in Figure 4, spaced at equal distances apart from each other. The top horizontal plate 33 resting upon .the upper .ends of the .Posts .operatively nron vides a seatfor the turhtalolefl to Vbe mounted on.. The two annular SEQtOnsfiL 35' of an antifri'ction racefrest directly unen the top .plate 33 ofthe pedestal. Aritiffriction balls 35' are lo cated between these sections in a horizontalpane and the lupper end ofthe shaft 4,6 .extends and is operativ/eli tted to race section 3ft. v

The. turntable 31 carries a .track member of sheet ,metal vdesi'gnated 38, which completes thel pedestal proper. The case of this track member 33 is formed. with .oppostely disposed. marginal angular beads 33,40. which then are bent 'back terminally in parallel relation to .the 'base 38, to

provide the confinngangeslll. 'Ihe-bead'prof f vide, track grooves .42,

' Shaping rollers are provided .as a means. of. producing the Venturi ring D .over the edge F of1 the cylindrical opening C' made in the metal sheet or blank A. These-rolls have .to beset. in conneotionA with the work. The ,roll Isetting means will now be described; vOppostely dis.- posedflanges 4.3, 44 are formed at thelhase oftwio .elongated plates 45. 45a, 'which extend. in upright parallel relation to 'forni the .opposite sldesof a box orlcarrier. Thegnumper 4'1 designates the gear shift levers of. the .machine trans-,- mission case The .interior of the. .box 'of which the' side Walls are-composed@ the. plates 4 5.. 4.541. is'desis-` hated d8. The end wallsv which close this box. are. denoted as 49,150. .Set screws 5l .having headsl are employed to adjustablylock the .box in adjustable position inthetrack of the .pedestal.. The set screws are tapped through the flanges lll and engage thefflases 413... 44 cf the box.' In Figures 6, 2, and 3 it willbe seen that a spacer plateils Secured to. the. .enel wauw of the box by means of; fasteners or screws 54' having heads .55. The screwsprlgage thisspacer plate with the headsebutins theeod wall' 49,. The width of this spacer plate is less than that of end Wall 49 which it overles von its) inner face.

The. end edges of the side Wallfllaytes 45.. 45a, of

the box abut the marginaledges of spacer plate 5.3 so that their outer faces 'are lflush with the edges f end wall 4.9.. The edges of; spacer plate 53. and of `side wall plates 45,. 45d. vare welded together or otherwise secured.. This is also true of the other `end Wall .5tlof the. box.. Y

A slide is mounted upon the top outturned flanges e and 5l formed upon thek side .plates 45, a. This slide has an lnvertedbase ,58,y upon which are `formod oppositely and inwardly .in-

clining beads or marginalportionsl SL66. 'ljhese` beads are formed with flanges 52, 63 disposed parallel to the base 58, which are confining flanges. The beads provide grooves or tracks BI. This enables the slide thus formed to be adjusted along the length of the box.

Adapted to extend longitudinally of the box is a feed screw 66 having the threads 65 formed for the major portion of its length. The unthreaded portion of this screw enters the end wall .419, andthe ltermi-nal of its threaded portion ,6l cornes out of end wall 5t where a pair of lock nuts @8 screw thereupon and ab-ut the end wall 5U. A crank 'it is fitted onto the end ofthe feed screw 6G having the operating handie 'l-l. Lock nuts 'i2 engage the end of the feed screw adjacent end wall 49 also. In this way the feed screw 66 is held against longitudinal movement inthe box.

The slide having the marginal portions 59, Bt also carries at its outer end an integral depending block Bla. This block had a threaded bolt 64a which projects through .the case 58 of the slide, where a nut l65o is screwed uponv it,.,as `a means of clamp-ing the block upon. this slide. VAt the .end of the feed screw 66 remote fromv end walLU, it is formed of polygonal portion 13- over which thecollar lll of crank ,1B is Vfitted operatively.

The particular mounting for the shaping. rolls will now be described. Upon its base portion 19 rigidly securedv upon the rear part .of .the slide is .disposed the diagonally positioned yholder for the shaping rolls. This holder inclines over to.- wards the center of the box. The inolining side Walls thereof are .designated .82', 83, and .the ,respective top and bottom Walls .thereof are. denoted at 80, Sl. The end. wally thereforis designated 811. The four walls. of this. box-shaped holder may Yloe rigidly secured to one .another .in any approved manner. The inclined wall .Blof this holder is formed with an elongated slot .85 indicated in Figure 5.. A plate 8'@ is fixed upon the holder so asv to overlie `the inclined wall thereof operatively. A shaft .B1 is journaled in this plate or member 88 operatively so as to project beyond the wall 8l) of the. holder. A Setzscrew `llt'. is tapped into member 86, and .binds this shaft in position so it does not turn. yA. washer 89 surrounds the shaft Bl, seating on plate 8B, and a shaping .roll -90' abutsupon this Washer and Vis held against displacement from shaft .BT upon which it is loosely mouhtedby means ofv a set screw 9| .tapped intoshaftl', with its head 93 crowding against a wear plate ..92 countersunk into this roll Sill. Roll S'is formed peripherally with a convex surface 1.39.

y A.' slide block of approved formation vIl l hasits body slidablyA mounted in the slots ,lldiformed in inclined .plates 8D and 8l. of the holder. It has aside flange ,Q5 adapted to slide .upon .the .plate 8'0 of .the holder. A removable cover plate .or like member .'56 is secured to slldably overlap inclined plate 8|. It is secured toslide block 94 by .means of screws 91 the heads A98 of which abut the cover plate 96.

A saddle ,piece is secured upon the slide block 94. It consists of an offset part 99 which .isl formed with oppositely extending base arrges lsecuredvloy set` screws lll! to theslide block, the heads of which screws are designated H13. 'I fheheads los abut the flanges lill) ofthe saddle piece. The channel |82 of vthis saddle piece has projecting thereinto the head IBS y.of a feed screw LM which is threaded into va nut welded upon the part 99. A crank 1.0.5 isoperativelyfltted the sainel .uponitms feedrscrewd 64ans itfhasfan operating handleI06. Projectingintof thisslide block so as to bej'ournaled therein is ashaft :81a,` which has one L end also :projecting beyond .plate lill in lthe.sainedirection as shaft .181.: .Mounted upon ,signed-toreceive and hold and-position the four rightangular edges of ,a rectangular mtalfsheet lAto'enter its cylindrical or other lshaped opening C directly over the box that carries the roll holder. Figure 8 illustrates how these bars may be formed. A metal bottom II1 secured Ato the bar projects beyond the bar transversely thereof to form a lip II 1a. The bar has a kerf IIS cut thereinto its full length, which is in a plane with the plate II1. Two of the bars, preferably bars II2 and II5, may be made .adjustable in any operative manner desired. A bracket II8 is secured to the top sill 20 as shown in Figure 1. In this bracket is journaled a pintle I I9 upon which the collar end |20 of a clamping lever |2| is attached rigidly. An operating handle |22 is carried by this lever |20. Collar |20 carries clamping fingers |23.

In the position of the parts operatively, it Will be seen from Figure 1 that the box having the base 38 has its major portion extending radially of one point of the turntable 31 and its minor portion projecting radially diametrically opposite to its major portion. It is obvious that adjustments will be made in the positions of the holder for the rolls 90 and |08 on the carriage formed by the box, and adjustments of this carriage or box itself made upon the turntable 31.

This is rendered necessary by reason of the fact that the particular size of the metal sheet A that is to have a Venturi ring formed on it has to be considered as well as the size of its opening C. The particular shape of ring in cross section that may be :desired is a matter of properly shaping the complemental perimetral surfaces of the two rolls 90 and |08. The holder for the rolls can be adjusted simply by taking hold of crank handle 1I and turning the crank 10 of the feed screw 66. The direction in which the crank is turned determines the direction in which the carriage or box will travel upon the turntable 31. Since this feed screw cannot move longitudinally, it turns in the slide block 61a of the slide which carries the rolls. In this way the rolls can be properly centered or registered with respect to the edge F of the opening C in the sheet metal blank A. In order to register the carriage itself with relation to the dimensions of the sheet metal blank A, it is simply necessary toloosen the bolts I which clamp the carriage upon the track of the turntable, slide it in the proper direction for the proper distance and then tighten the hold oi' the bolts again. Similarly, the set screws or .bolts 11 having the heads 18 may be loosened to allow the slide carrying the rolls 90 and |08 to be adjusted, and then these bolts can be tightened again and the slide finally locked in adjusted position. It will be seen that any desired registration of the machine is permitted which is desirable to cause the rolls to engage the edge of the opening in the metal blank, while the car- Vlriag'eor box, in unison with' the turntable and shaf-t46 is making a slow butcomplete cycle of movement underthe metal blankAand within the confines of the parts of theframework of themachine. l. f

The4 :sheet metal blanks/A has first been set vagainstfthe holding-bars I I2, II3, IIII and II5 Awith tsedges entering the kerfs I6 in these bars.

'The' bari |.l5 is caused to clamp itself against the sheet .by operating lever |2| which when turned inthe proper direction, while being held in the -hand ofthe workman, turns collar |20 and makes its. pin or finger |23 bind upon this vbar to hold it. from. becoming disengaged from the sheet which it holds down upon the frame.

.The metalsheet being thus clamped down up- Aon the top of 'theframe along its marginal edges. the main body thereof extends across the open space in the framework. The carriage having been adjusted as explained, the holder slide for the rolls will now be adjusted further. The practice here is to move the slide on the carriage to that point along its length where roll 90 will engage the under surface of the marginal portion G of the metal sheet A as shown in Figure 7, while permitting roll |08 to project into the opening C of this sheet, for engagement with the yother side of this same marginal portion of the sheet.

In operation the roll 90 will be caused to contactthe marginal portion G of the opening C of the sheet A at a corner so that its entire peripheral cross section |09 will be bridged across from the sheet A over to the plate of the slide holding it. At this time the bolts 11 will be locked tightly and securely against the iianges 56, 51 of the carriage or box, This having been done. and the workman having set the motor 30 in operation, an-d while he clamps the sheet by means of lever I 2| so it remains rigidly in position upon the frame, with his other hand the workman now manipulates crank handle |06.

His purpose is to begin the operation of crimping and upsetting the rim or marginal portion G of the metal sheet A to form the Venturi ring thereupon. He turns this operating crank handle |06 in the right direction to cause the slide block III to advance with roll |08 towards the edge F of opening C in the metal sheet A. He keeps on turning this crank until the roll |08 will thoroughly perform its mashing and shaping operation. This it does by riding forcibly down upon marginal portion G of the sheet which, as shown in Figure 7, projects away from roll under the diagonally -disposed flute IIO in roll |08; As the roll I 08 is forcibly contacted with marginal portion G of the sheet A, the carriage or box and the slide carrying both rolls are being slowly, due to the gearing in gear case 29, carried around in a circle or cycle of movement with respect to the circular edge of the opening C. The contact between the two rolls with the metal sheet A, ,as this rotating movement of the carriage occurs, causes these rolls to rotate also. In doing so, as the two rolls are clamped together, the marginal portion G of sheet A is crimped, upset and mashed against the convex surface |09 of forming roll 90 as shown in Figure 8. This makes this marginal portion G conform exactly to the convex surface of roll 90' upon one side where it encounters the uted surface IIO of roll |08, and to the concave surface of roll |08 on its other side due to be contacted by the convex surface of roll 90. As soon as the carriage has made a complete revolution, the complete Venturi ring shown in Figure 9 will be formed.

, Y :I @met zmean to .comme myself d10 the @mt -;de.tai1s. of nnstmction :hereinedismosed -butlam all mmaeions falling :within the Apllfrviewfmf fia-he appendedslain WhatI desire to claim is: I A fsheet imetal molling ldevine comprising a `img below -fbhe upper :plane amenant, .aczlamping `-means ensad frame A4fer clamping an apertured .sheet metal :work piece above Asaid pedestal, ,e vertical shaft in said pedestal, :a at xsuppurting member xed 'en the fupperzendfof 15am: Shaft, an elQngated1camfage,.zmeans securinggsa'd carriage zenvsad supporting-member fer longitudinal ajustment relative dheretzmepair 10i mark engaging .frellersgmeans supporxing fsaidarollers onLsaid `gcamieg-eiemandj usfumem: elenggthelength'thereaf,

71ers :Jane 'fm the mtheriand wenteally relative mo exis ef; aid shaft 1in eengagemertmthxche inner dgegof saidapertmzecbsheet. 

